How to plant flowers in a pot, container or window box
One of the most enjoyable parts of summer is watching flowers burst into a show of colour in your garden, and stunning flowers dotted around your outdoors makes the season so much brighter! Container planting is one of the easiest, cost-effective ways to spruce up your garden, and we’re here to show you how to do it.
Container displays can help you make the most of whatever outdoor space you have, whether that’s a balcony, patio, or large garden. Even if you’ve no room on the ground, you can plant up a window box to turn bare walls and windows into something beautiful. It’s not a big investment, and you can choose however many pots you need to suit your size of space.
From our wide range of young bedding plants available in-store & online, you can pick your favourite flowers, colours or shapes to fully customise the look and feel of your container. Choose plants that have similar colour tones to your pots for a coordinated feel or go for an eclectic mix showcasing different varieties and shades. You can also create a display with several identical pots to make a real statement.
For advice on how to plant flowers in containers, including suggestions on what plants look best, then keep reading for our Green Team’s top tips. Don’t worry if you've never planted before – container planting is a great gardening activity for beginners, as well as an amazing way to personalise your outdoor space, helping you enjoy garden living even more this spring.
What flowers look good in planters and pots?
Sometimes choosing which flowers to plant in your outdoor container is the hardest job! Perennials, annuals and bulbs are all common choices for pots and containers. In-store we have hundreds of beautiful varieties of young summer bedding plants, available in 20 packs for a great value way to add colour to your garden. There are a wide range of colours, sizes and styles to choose from, so you’re guaranteed to find something to suit your taste. Selecting the right plants may take some research – here are just a few that work well in containers:
Hydrangea
Begonia
Fuschia
Petunia
Pansies and violas
Verbena
Geranium
Busy lizzies
Lobelia
Patio Roses
Lavender
Sweet peas
Ivy
Evergreen foliage like grasses and ferns
Many summer bedding plants grow well in containers and look lovely paired with other shrubs and flowers. Before you buy, make sure you know where in your garden your container is going. Is it in a shady area? Or will it be bathing in the sun all day? Pick your plants accordingly to their growing conditions.
Having a variety of colours and textures will almost certainly make your container look amazing. Using the thriller, filler and spiller planting technique is an excellent way to achieve this. Thrillers are taller plants that go at the back, fillers are wide, bushy plants to bulk up the container, and spillers are plants that trail over the sides. Using a combination of these plants ensures a well-rounded and nicely decorated container with different heights, texture and colour for maximum impact.
How to plant flowers in a pot, container or window box: step-by-step guide
Planting up a container isn’t a difficult task once you know what to do. In fact, it’s a great gardening job to do on a dry spring afternoon. In case you’re a first timer or just in need of a reminder, we’ve made a step-by-step guide you can follow along with:
Step 1: Choose a container that that’s big enough for the plants and flowers you’ve chosen. It’s a good idea to Choose a container that suits your style and space. Terracotta pots or wooden containers will give you a traditional look, while eco-friendly recycled plastic pots feel more modern and come in lots of fun, eye-catching colours.
Step 2: While they’re still in their original container, water your flowers a few hours before planting them. This helps reduce the shock of moving them into a new home!
Step 3: Fill bottom of your container with a layer of small stones to help with drainage. Then, start adding compost until it’s about halfway full. Always use fresh quality compost such as Jack’s Magic All Purpose Peat Free compost, to give your plants all the nutrients they need for the best growth and flower performance. The amount of compost you need depends on how big your container is, but you want enough so that the plant’s root ball sits at the top of the planter. At this stage, you can add a slow-release fertiliser that will gradually give your plants a boost over time and help them flower for longer.
Step 4: Position your plants where you want them to go. Plant upright flowers towards the centre to give height to your display, and low growing plants round the edges to trail over the sides.
Step 5: Fill in the gaps around the plants’ roots so they’re sitting nice and secure in the container. Gently firm the soil down.
Step 6: Water your container thoroughly.
Step 7: Place your container in your preferred spot on your doorstep, patio, balcony or winder for a colourful focal point you'll enjoy for months!
How many flowers can I plant in one pot?
How many plants you can fit in one container depends on how big your container is. Below is a general guide on how many plants you’ll need for planting up a mixed container. We've used thrillers, fillers and spillers to differentiate between each plant. Remember, thrillers are plants that grow upwards (like zonal geraniums and upright fuchsias), fillers are ones that grow wide (Diascia and nemesia), and spillers are trailing plants (lobelia, ivy, trailing petunia).
40cm container: 1 thriller, 5 filler, 5 spiller
45cm container: 3 thriller, 6 filler, 6 spiller
60cm container: 3 thriller, 8 filler, 8 spiller
How to care for flowers in a pot
Maintaining your planted containers is essential to keeping them looking good, especially through spells of hot weather – which are great for us, but not so great for plants! With proper care your potted plants and flowers will continue to grow and bloom up until late summer or autumn.
Staying on top of watering your containers is key. Plants in containers need more water than those in beds and borders. This is because in a pot the water can freely drain out the bottom – which is a good thing, as without drainage the soil will become waterlogged, and the roots of the plant will rot! However, it means you’ll likely need to water your containers daily. If it’s been raining, make sure to check the dampness of the soil before deciding whether to water – you don't want to overwater your plants.
Feed your plants weekly with a liquid fertiliser through the growing season. Add the feed to the water when watering.
Make sure to regularly snip away any dead blooms and your plant should keep producing new flowers for longer.
When should I plant summer bedding flowers in pots?
When you can start planting outside will depend on where in the UK you live. For example, Cornwall might have sunshine and high temperatures, whereas there might be frost in some areas up north. Check your local weather forecast. However, in general, April or May is prime time for planting outside in the UK. In some places you may even be able to garden in late March.
If you've planted your container early, only for the weather to turn cold again, you can always protect it by placing it in a warm spot like a greenhouse. Then, before moving your planted container outside, make sure to harden it off by putting it outside during the day and bringing it back inside in the evening. This helps your plants adjust to new outdoor conditions.
If you need help with anything, talk to one of our in-store Green Team, who are happy to answer any questions. Plus, you can explore our full range of summer bedding plants and outdoor pots, as well as all the essential bits and bobs you’ll need to get gardening this spring!